Places for Pinball in Calgary

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The last system I owned was colecovision

I have one of these in my closet...and 2 Atari 2600s, and a pong game. Oh nostalgia.

Originally Posted by habernac

13!! Nice!

I remember another interesting one from the 80s called Haunted House, it had another board underneath the main one. Neat design, the game play wasn't that great.

Haunted house was cool, wasn't the underneath board displayed on a mirror so it was backwards?

[Bean]

On a related note, if anybody is going to Vegas and wants to try something different and off the strip. I would highly suggest this: http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

The place is a bit of a dump but for those so inclined, it has some really great pinball machines that really take you down memory lane. It featured a vertical pinball machine (1 of 2 ever made) ...but I've forgotten the name. It is an easy 10 minute drive East of the strip and for pinball fans, definately worth the trip.

[habernac]

crap, I had no idea it was there, Bean. Thx for the heads up, I'll go there next time for certain.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by habernac

13!! Nice!

I remember another interesting one from the 80s called Haunted House, it had another board underneath the main one. Neat design, the game play wasn't that great.
.

Ah yes! Haunted House, though while not great, was one of the first of the modern-day pin machines that combined multi levels and a lot of different features. At that time it was pretty innovative.

[Ronald Pagan]

Question: Your favourite Pinball table?

Mine, yeesh, tough one.

I really liked the Street Fighter 2 pinball table.

Star Wars was also a classic.

But for my money I'd have to go with either 8 Ball or Adams Family.

[Mightyfire89]

Anyone else remember the giant pinball machine they used to have at one of the arcades downtown? It was enormous. The ball was just slightly smaller than a baseball and appeared to be made of wood. The gameplay was meh, but it was an interesting novelty. Another interesting one was called Caveman, I think. It was half pinball, half videogame, loved that game.

Sigh, I miss playing pinball, I must have spent 90% of any money I got from the age of 10-17 on those evil machines (well, a lot was spent on videogames too, I guess).

I must buy one someday soon.

[RougeUnderoos]

That giant thing was called Hercules, IIRC.

Those arcades downtown were so scuzzy.

It seemed reasonable at the time, but looking back at it now, the "spectator" thing at arcades was pretty weird. 20 people, including a few grown men, watching some 13 year-old play Joust for half an hour.

[troutman]

MRC used to have a lot of pinball games in the basement arcade. I used to play Gorgar there:

[troutman]

Available on Wii:

http://www.metacritic.com/games/plat...tion?q=pinball

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball...ams_Collection

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection is a video game title from Crave Entertainment for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable. Players play on a variety of classic virtual pinball machines from Williams Electronics's history. All tables are available at the start of play, but some require you to use credits.



The following pinball machines are included in the game:

• Black Knight
• Firepower
• Funhouse
• Gorgar
• Pin*Bot
• Space Shuttle
• Taxi
• Whirlwind
• Jive Time
• Sorcerer

The Wii version was nominated for Best Graphics Technology for the Wii by IGN in its 2008 video game awards,[2] while the PSP version was nominated for best PSP game of 2008 by GameSpot.[3] Gamasutra named The Williams Collection the 3rd most overlooked game of 2008

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

A couple things
1. Understand where the big points are to be had. Each game is different and you want to go after the big points/bonuses/multi-balls
2. Stop the ball with your paddle and then aim your shot. Learn how to cushion the ball with the paddle so you can catch it, instead of having to just wack it right back up with no thought

The great thing about pin is if you are good and understand a game - you have a game go on a VERY long time on just one credit. It's great value compared to most video games.

Ever since I was a young boy,
I played the silver-ball.
From Soho down to Brighton,
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothin' like him,
in any amusment hall...
that deaf, dumb, and blind kid
sure plays mean pinball.

[I_H8_Crawford]

I remember a Monday Night Football machine that was at the bowling ally where I bowled every Sat morning - loved that one; you even had to hit a "field goal" by throwing the ball up a ramp and throught the uprights!

[Bobblehead]

FFWD just had a recent article on where to find classic arcade games (it did mention pinball).

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/li...ade-gems-3501/

If you are looking for food and a fun place to play old arcade games, Boogie’s is it. However, for simple video-game pleasure, the Greyhound station is the raddest.

[Prototype]

I used to have a bowling themed pinball machine in our basement growing up. Sat in the garage for a few years before we sold it at a garage sale. Thing was noisy as heck... old school wood and lights. Miss the thing...

[Hack&Lube]

I was never a pinball player. I was never any good at it so playing pinball was never something I really enjoyed.

I played the odd game at Easy Street or Chuck E. Cheese or Rocky & Bullwinkle's (who remembers that place?) back in 1988 or so. I think I played Addams family a few times at the tiny arcade at Tunnel Mountain. That was really the one arcade that I have the fondest memories of. It was always crammed full of kids who with little else to do when camping, flocked to the arcade - even in later years when normal arcades were fading.

[Hack&Lube]

Oh wow, I just watched "Kings of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters". That was pretty damn amazing but Seth Gordon totally threw that Billy Mitchell guy under the bus. They totally framed him as the evil bad guy to the "good-guy" of Wiebe for dramatic purposes and the movie exploited a lot of these people by hanging on a few seconds after interviews for awkward pauses.

I read later on that Mitchell wasn't the jerk he was portrayed as and actually met Wiebe many times with his family during filming even though the producers wanted to make it look like he was avoiding him.

[habernac]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...e=darcy/080828

the Pinball World Championships

[Engine09]

Pretty sure I mentioned this before, but anyone who remotely enjoyed "King of Kong" needs to look into "Chasing Ghosts" when it's released on DVD.

A lot of the same characters from "King of Kong" and the Twin Galaxies gang but it casts a wider net and covers all the games that were popular in the early 80s. A couple guys from Calgary are in there too, great documentary.

http://chasingghoststhemovie.com/

[the crispy badger]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Thanks! I love old movies that have arcades in them. I'm downloading now.

Also, remember to check out 'Joysticks' from 1983. "SUPER AWESOME VIDEOGAMES!"

yup..I remember my dad renting that from Chinatown was I was a youngen and that my friends..was my first taste of female nudity on the movie screen and it was glorious.

[Rifleman]

Anyone remember this Pac-Man Pinball game where you played pinball, but on occasion, it would switch to the screen up top where you would have to control a Pac-Man through a maze?

Anyways, I didn't play pinball too much when I was a kid, but I bemoan the loss of the arcade, where I spent most of my savings.

That big arcade in West Edmonton Mall is now closed too. It hung on for quite awhile.

[krazycanuck]

Originally Posted by troutman

Available on Wii:


Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection is a video game title from Crave Entertainment for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable. Players play on a variety of classic virtual pinball machines from Williams Electronics's history. All tables are available at the start of play, but some require you to use credits.



The following pinball machines are included in the game:

• Black Knight
• Firepower
• Funhouse
• Gorgar
• Pin*Bot
• Space Shuttle
• Taxi
• Whirlwind
• Jive Time
• Sorcerer

I bought this game for the Wii a few months back for like 20 bucks at future shop. It isn't that easy to find, but I've definitely enjoyed it. Well worth the cash.

The greyhound depot still has an arcade, you might get stabbed while there...but there are ALOT of video games and pinball.

My personal favorite is the Pirates of the Caribbean pinball. They had it at The Blind Monk on 4th street for a while, but they ended up moving to Royal Oak and didn't take the pinball with them aparently. The only place I know of in Calgary where they have one is terminal D of the airport...past security.

Tubby Dog had Funhouse last time I was there.